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This briefing by RMI discusses the environmental impact of cryptocurrency, specifically Bitcoin, and outlines the efforts and challenges associated with decarbonizing the industry. It details the transition of Ethereum to a lower-energy mechanism, the development of accounting frameworks for emissions, and the necessity for Bitcoin to move away from proof-of-work mining or utilize additional renewable energy to avoid hindering climate progress.

This RMI briefing examines how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) influences utility integrated resource plans (IRPs), using DTE, Michigan's largest investor-owned electric utility, as a primary case study. The document details how incorporating IRA tax credits into planning can lead to significant customer savings, accelerated coal retirements, and increased renewable energy capacity.

This policy brief by RMI argues that the lack of universally accepted, machine-readable data standards for carbon accounting hinders the ability of companies to exchange and compare emissions data, thereby slowing decarbonization. The document proposes the creation of an ecosystem based on open standards, open-source collaboration, and industry-wide software support to enable real-time, interoperable carbon tracking acrossSS across supply chains.

This briefing by RMI outlines the energy affordability crisis in the US, driven by high fossil fuel prices and rising electricity rates, and provides a toolkit of short-term and long-term regulatory solutions for state public utility commissions to reduce the energy burden on vulnerable households.

This briefing from RMI's Center for Climate-Aligned Finance (CCAF) outlines six key trends expected to influence the climate strategies, implementation, and reporting of financial institutions (FIs) in 2023. These trends include the shift toward short-term transition plans, the political debate surrounding ESG, the growth of renewable energy investment, the need for workforce upskilling, increased regulatory scrutiny of greenwashing, and the move toward using transition-relevant data for portfolio steering.

This policy brief argues that the United States power grid lacks a comprehensive national development plan, unlike the European Union and China, leaving it fragmented and vulnerable to climate-related extreme weather. It advocates for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to mandate minimum inter-regional power transfer capabilities and establish a robust planning process to improve grid resilience and resource sharing.

This briefing from RMI describes the role of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs)—aggregations of distributed energy resources like batteries and electric vehicles—in enhancing grid reliability, affordability, and decarbonization, while outlining priorities to scale the market.

This fact sheet describes the Energy Policy Simulator (EPS), an open-source tool developed by RMI and Energy Innovation to help states estimate the impacts of climate and energy policies. It specifically outlines how the EPS can be used by state governments to meet the requirements of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program, including GHG inventory, emissions projections, and benefits analysis.

This report introduces a portfolio-led approach designed to help banks translate net-zero decarbonization commitments into credible, robust action by providing a framework to assess sectors, geographies, asset classes, and business units.

This case study examines power system decarbonization pathways in Northwestern China, focusing specifically on Shaanxi province for the period 2021–2030 to provide a model for coal-dependent regions.

This briefing by RMI analyzes the state of the global coal transition in 2022, highlighting a contradiction where coal emissions are poised to break records while retired and canceled coal capacity also hit record levels. The document focuses on the emergence of Coal Transition Mechanisms (CTMs) and Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) as critical financial levers to accelerate the shift from coal to clean energy, particularly in South Africa, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

An updated analysis by RMI comparing the economic and environmental impacts of all-electric versus mixed-fuel single-family new construction across nine US cities.

This report examines how open-source utility planning software and stakeholder-driven modeling can improve integrated resource planning (IRP) outcomes, using a case study of the 2021 resource plan from Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities.

The RMI report outlines a value chain approach to decarbonize the oil refining and petrochemical industry, which was operationally responsible for 3 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019.

This report by RMI introduces a 'portfolio-led approach' to help banks translate high-level net-zero commitments into credible, actionable strategies. The approach advocates for analyzing a bank's activities through four key pillars—sectors, geographies, asset classes, and business units—to optimize real-economy impact and avoid organizational blind spots across strategy design, implementation, and reporting.

This briefing by RMI outlines a phased framework for building decarbonization in the United States and argues that financial institutions can accelerate the shift to zero-carbon technologies by using targeted interventions to make green options the cheapest, default choice.

This guide by RMI, developed in collaboration with the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) and Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), introduces guidelines for Coal Transition Mechanisms (CTMs). These financial tools are designed to accelerate the retirement of existing coal plants, particularly those shielded from market pressures by regulation or long-term contracts, while mitigating the reputational and financial risks associated with financing coal plant owners.

This briefing by RMI argues that the energy transition's reliance on critical minerals requires a shift from treating commodities as undifferentiated goods to implementing mine-to-market traceability. The document highlights how the lack of transparency hides human rights violations and environmental damage, and proposes five key actions to enable commodity differentiation and ensure a just transition.

This working paper by Climate Bonds Initiative, Climate Policy Initiative, and RMI introduces a four-stage gate framework to assess the credibility of coal transition mechanisms (CTMs). The framework aims to mitigate risks related to climate outcomes, social impacts on workers and communities, and reputational risks for funders, ensuring that the transition from coal to clean energy is managed and effective.

This policy brief by RMI outlines how the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) can reduce the high energy burden on Georgia electricity customers through specific regulatory reforms. It argues that while Georgia has low electricity rates, it has some of the highest bills in the contiguous US, disproportionately affecting low-income and minority households. The document proposes four primary levers for the PSC: implementing securitization, reforming the Return on Equity (ROE) for Georgia Power, establishing fuel-cost sharing mechanisms, and updating system planning to align with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).